Processing Files by Type

Once source documents are transformed into WIF, XSL processing can begin. The next question is about how to organize the XSL processing. ePublisher gives you the flexibility you need to define a workflow without the drudgery. While some processes and standards require intimate knowledge of an XSL transform’s input and output file names, ePublisher uses knowledge of an XSL transform’s input and output file types. This distinction is subtle but powerful.

Consider processing XSL with exact file names:

xslt doctoc.xsl alpha.xml > alpha_toc.xml

xslt doctoc.xsl delta.xml > delta_toc.xml

xslt grouptoc.xsl alpha_toc.xml delta_toc.xml > group_toc.xml

Now consider using file types in place of file names:

xslt doctoc.xsl Source > Doc_TOC

xslt grouptoc.xsl Doc_TOC > Group_TOC

Using file types in place of file names simplifies the specification, where the file types are defined as follows:

File Type

File Names

Source

alpha.xml

delta.xml

Doc_TOC

alpha_toc.xml

delta_toc.xml

Group_TOC

group_toc.xml

With the file type approach, you need to specify xslt doctoc.xsl Source > Doc_TOC only once. This specification runs for every Source type document found and generates the corresponding Doc_TOC output files.